Truth

The scent of damp earth and pine needles clung to the air as Zale and Jared crept through the shadowed forest.

The old manor ahead was imposing, its weathered stone walls softened only by the ivy that climbed hungrily over its surface. The place looked abandoned, but the scattered guards patrolling its perimeter said otherwise.

They had planned this for weeks, gathering intel and forging a trail of blood and violence that had left Zale colder and Jared fiercer. Their disguises were gone. Now it was just the two of them, stripped down to their essence: the betrayed and the enraged.

"Think he's in there?" Jared whispered, eyes flashing in the darkness.

"Yeah. Bastard ran all the way here," Zale replied, his voice tight, measured. The days of careful preparation had sharpened him, ground away the weakness until only his iron will remained. "Let's go."

They slipped through the iron gate with an ease that spoke of experience, the patrolling guards never standing a chance. The few that spotted them never made a sound. Jared had a way of breaking necks like he was cracking twigs. Zale, for his part, handled the rest with the cold efficiency of a man whose patience had long since been spent.

The grand entrance was unguarded. Their steps echoed softly on the marble floor as they pushed deeper into the manor. They had tracked the C.E.O. this far, and Zale wasn't leaving without answers.

When they found him, he was sitting at a desk, papers scattered before him. His suit was wrinkled, his tie loosened like a noose barely undone. His hair, once pristine, hung messily over his forehead, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.

He looked up at the sound of their entrance, and for a moment, he didn't even seem surprised.

"Zale... Jared..." the C.E.O. whispered, his voice rough. "I wondered when you'd show up."

Jared's fingers twitched, his glare promising violence. "Took us longer than expected to find this rat hole. You've been a slippery one."

The man swallowed hard, his gaze flicking between the two of them. "I'm guessing you're not here to talk about a settlement."

Zale took a step forward. "We're here for the truth. Why did you try to kill me?"

The C.E.O.'s shoulders sagged, the facade of power crumbling before their eyes. "I was following orders. I didn't even know you before all this."

"Orders?" Jared barked a laugh, bitter and mocking. "You expect us to believe you were just some pawn? You're the goddamn head of the company!"

"Yes, but... there are powers greater than me." His trembling hands clung to the edges of the desk as if it were the only thing keeping him upright. "I was paid, forced, to act. The target was always you, Zale. The attack, the lies, all of it."

"By who?" Zale's voice was glacial, his gaze never leaving the man's as if willing him to crumble under its weight.

The C.E.O. hesitated, his eyes darting about like a trapped animal. "Some kid. A guy with influence way beyond his years. Turned out he was the adopted son of a powerful politician, filthy rich, connected... and vengeful. Said you wronged him back in high school, that you bullied him mercilessly."

Zale's expression didn't falter, but Jared stiffened beside him, disbelief flickering over his face. "Zale, is that... true?"

Silence. Zale's gaze fell, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. His breathing slowed, steadying itself as he forced himself to confront the past.

"Yeah," Zale admitted, his voice hollow. "Back then, I was a real piece of shit. I targeted him, made his life hell. Didn't care about who I stepped on or how they felt. Just... just because I could."

Jared's expression wavered between shock and disappointment before settling into something more measured. "And now he's rich and powerful, huh? Funny how life works."

"It's not funny," Zale snapped. "It's karma."

The C.E.O. relaxed slightly, mistaking Zale's conflict for hesitation. "So, you understand, right? I had no choice. It was all his idea, his revenge."

Jared's scowl deepened. "And you just went along with it. You were willing to have your own employee murdered because some rich kid paid you off?"

"I... I was desperate. The money, the threats, the power he held over me... You don't understand!" the man pleaded, voice trembling.

Zale's eyes were unfathomable pits of shadow. "No, I understand perfectly."

For a moment, the air hung thick with the weight of unfinished business. Zale's breathing was slow and controlled, the only sign of the storm raging beneath his calm surface.

Jared glanced at him, waiting for the order. The man in front of them was nothing but a puppet, his strings long since cut. But the one who pulled them, the true orchestrator of the attack — he was still out there.

"What now, Zale?" Jared asked.

Zale's gaze fell back on the C.E.O., who shrank under the intensity. But Zale's posture eased, his shoulders lowering with something that almost resembled resignation.

"I'm not going after him," Zale said softly.

"What?" Jared's shock was palpable. "You can't be serious. That bastard tried to kill you! And you're just going to let him walk?"

Zale's face twisted in something close to self-loathing. "What happened to me... it's because of what I did to him. I ruined his life. Even if his revenge was twisted and extreme, I can't blame him for wanting it."

The C.E.O. stared in open-mouthed disbelief.

"But this guy?" Zale continued, nodding toward the man. "You, I have no sympathy for. You made a choice. You decided that money was worth more than my life. But I'm not gonna kill you."

"Zale..." Jared began, his tone dark.

"No. I'm not saying you have to agree with me. Hell, you probably think I'm being a hypocrite, letting the real mastermind go just because of some stupid guilt." Zale's gaze remained fixed on the C.E.O., his expression cold. "But this is my decision."

Jared was quiet for a moment, his gaze searching Zale's face. Then he burst into laughter, loud and genuine, shaking his head in amazement.

"You're such an idiot, Zale," Jared said, wiping a tear from his eye. "But you know what? I don't care. Hypocrite or not, I'm with you. Besides, this prick's the one who pulled the trigger. Whether or not we deal with the mastermind is your choice."

Zale's lips twitched, a ghost of a smile. "Thanks, Jared."

The C.E.O. watched them, his expression a mixture of relief and terror. He wasn't sure if he was going to leave this manor alive, but at that moment, he was too paralyzed to speak.

Zale's eyes narrowed. "Now then... Let's talk about what happens next."